*MKILETEWA HAPA NA MISS FB FASHION POLICE*
She was continually teased for her towering physique and large feet, and some even likened her to the gargantuan cartoon character the Jolly Green Giant.
But now 40-year-old Louise MacLellan, who stands 6 foot tall and wears size 10 shoes, is having the last laugh, running her own business to help other big footed women.
After being made redundant last year Louise decided to open a shop stocking shoe sizes eight to 11 and spent months scouring Europe for feminine designs, as for many years she was forced to wear clumpy and masculine footwear.
By the time Louise was 11 she was 5 ft 10in and dwarfed fellow pupils and teachers at her primary school;
By the time Louise was 11 she was 5 ft 10in and dwarfed fellow pupils and teachers at her primary school.
Only men's Doc Martens boots would fit and she described that she never wore anything girly on her feet until her parents eventually discovered a specialist shop in London.
She said: 'I stood out like a sore thumb. I would be wearing mens' shoes to school and had to have grey or black mens' trainers.
'I never wore anything girly on my feet until I had my annual trip to a special shop.
Bigfoot: Louise (wearing a pair of red shoes) stands 6 foot tall and wears size 10 shoes;
Growth spurt: By the time Louise was 11 she was 5ft 10in and dwarfed fellow pupils and teachers at her school;
At secondary school the taunts got worse and children would call her the big giant or Jolly Green Giant while singing the jingle used in the television commercials within earshot.
She completed her A-Levels, but in fear of further bullying decided to skip university and has dreamed of starting her own business ever since.
She added: 'It's always been an ambition ever since the name calling got bad at school.
'I have always dreamt of creating a shop where women of larger than average shoe size could come and try on fashionable shoes in comfort.
'My friends enjoy the experience of trying on shoes in shops but, because of my foot size, my experiences have not been as enjoyable.'
And Louise is tapping into a growing market.
Research out last year revealed that the average female’s feet are one-and-a-half sizes bigger than ten years ago and there has been an 80 per cent increase in the number of woman taking a size nine.
She added:'People are getting taller and so it made sense to open at a time more women are looking for bigger shoes.
'It's good to have put all those snide comments to one side and help girls like me find shoes they like rather than have problems.'
Entrepreneurial spirit: Louise says she has always dreamed of opening her own shoe shop
Lou Lou Shoes opens tomorrow more information can be found at www.louloushoes.co.uk.
No comments:
Post a Comment